"This is the baseball."

We were running against the wind

The tops of those Cliff Lee bobblehead dolls the Indians are giving out tonight might snap off at the neck if exposed to tonight’s windy conditions.

EXCRUCIATING MINUTIA OF THE DAY…

Curtis Granderson said last night’s incredible catch of Grady Sizemore’s would-be game-winning homer was retribution, of sorts. “He’s robbed me of a few, too, here in this ballpark,” Granderson said of Sizemore. “That’s the only place we seem to do it. Our ballpark’s so big, you can’t play deep enough, and if we do, we can’t hit it to center field. He’s definitely taken away a lot of balls against our team, and against me in particular. I get the chance to even it out, sure enough.”

Josh Barfield, who was on first base as a pinch-runner and had rounded second on the play, had no idea Granderson caught the ball until he hurled it back toward the infield. “It was pure panic at that point,” Barfield said. “I’ve never seen a game-saving robbed home run like that.”

Indians players and fans didn’t like the outcome, but it’s hard to dispute that what transpired here Friday night was nothing short of entertaining. “I respect that,” Eric Wedge said. “It was about to be real fun, until I saw Mr. Granderson pull it back.”

A slight setback for Joe Smith, who is on the DL with a right rotator cuff strain. Smith tried to play catch earlier this week but still felt a little pinch in his shoulder. He’s hoping to play catch in the next few days.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, Justin Verlander became the first visiting pitcher to shut out the Indians with 10 or more strikeouts since Roger Clemens did it in 1992.

The Indians only had two hits off Verlander, but that didn’t stop Asdrubal Cabrera from extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Victor Martinez, who had a 15-game streak snapped Thursday in Boston, doubled in the seventh.

In Cliff Lee’s five losses this season, the Indians have scored six runs and been shut out twice. The Indians are averaging 2.4 runs per start for Lee this year. He is tied for first in the American League in losses, despite owning the 14th-lowest ERA in the AL at 3.45. Over his last five starts, Lee is 1-3 with a 1.70 ERA.

When it comes to Lee and that lack of run support, Wedge says that’s life as an ace. “When you’re a No. 1 [pitcher] facing a [No. 1], you’re going to go through stretches where the team just doesn’t score many runs for you,” Wedge said. “He just has to stay the same person with the same approach.”

ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” program, hosted by Mike Greenberg and Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate Mike Golic, will broadcast live from Progressive Field on Thursday, May 28.

~AC

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6 Comments

You know, of all the games the Tribe has lost this season, this one actually hurt the least (you thought I was going to say “most,” didn’t you?). It was a quality game, well pitched, and featured an incredible play, even if it wasn’t in our favor. I’d rather lose games like that than, say, watch our bullpen give up seven runs in one inning.

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